Communication and Perception

Communication and Perception

American alligators are the most vocal of all crocodilians, and communication begins early in life, while alligators are still in eggs. When they are ready to hatch, the young will make high pitched whining noises. Alligators commonly bellow and roar at one another. The bellow is loud and throaty, and can be heard from up to 165 yards away. Alligators also emit sounds called chumpfs. These are cough like purrs made during courting.

Other communication during mating season includes non-verbal forms such as lifting the head out of the water to show honorable intentions, headslapping by males as a sign of aggression to ward off intruders, and perhaps most notably, the virbrations, bubbles, and ripples seen in the water as a result of subaudible noises.